


A Future in the Distant Past

by iheartfictionalbadguys (jtedrick)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark Harry, Gen, Genocide, Master of Death, Post-Apocalypse, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2014-10-07
Packaged: 2018-02-20 03:48:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2413859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jtedrick/pseuds/iheartfictionalbadguys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a futuristic post-apocalyptic world, a group of like minded techno mages hatch a plan to change history. Harry Potter, Master of Death and reluctant anti-hero, gets volunteered for the job. Time travel cliche abounds in a plan to eradicate the muggles, once and for all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is rife with cliche. Suspension of logic and disbelief required. Canon characters won't make an appearance until chapter 3. All characters etc are property of J.K Rowling.

“ . . .Final product is complete, all primary functions are working as intended.”

Everyone seated at the table were focused intently on the quaffle sized metal sphere. The latest and greatest that technomancy had to offer, sat quietly humming before them. Its looks were deceiving, as they all knew. 

“Indeed?”

The woman standing at the head of the table smiled, “Yes, research division finally worked out all of the kinks Mark,” she tapped the top of the sphere with her wand.

Several people jerked away from the table as the Proto-Sphere began to hover. The surface glowed with the power of a multitude of intricately carved runic arrays. 

“Are you sure its safe to power-up Linda?” Mark asked visibly weary. 

The woman in question pursed her lips and huffed, “Are you a muggle?”

“Funny,” Mark sputtered in offense, narrowing his eyes.

“And that is your answer. The device only effects muggles, even squibs are safe.”

Those gathered began murmuring to each other, clearly exited.

“How was the power requirement resolved, if you don't mind my asking,” the man next to Mark inquired.

“As I'm sure you're all aware, the original design was meant to be entirely self contained. This did prove to be problematic, however we were able to redesign it to pull ambient energy from the lay lines. To compensate for the limited range, we will have to send a greater quantity—and while that sounds like a much bigger problem—it has certain advantages,” Linda began to enthusiastically lecture her peers.

“Since the power source is now basically without limit, we were able to increase several functions—even add one,” she explained and made a grand gesture with her hands.

“You managed to add another primary function?” the man muttered in awe.

Mark cleared his throat, “Perhaps an overview?”

Linda, practically vibrated at the chance to talk more about her teams successes. A tap of her wand on the table made holographic three dimensional image come to life above the table. The Proto-sphere rotated in the image, while a list formed next to it. Transforming her wand into a pointer, Linda absently tapped at primary directive one.

“The Proto-Sphere is the beginning and the end, it will in effect launch a silent war—and end it without anyone noticing. Primary directive one is the cull.”

Someone on the other end of the table blurted, “The Cull?”

“Please save all questions until after the entire brief,” Linda sneered.

“Sorry.”

Linda gave a firm nod, “The cull is a magically enhanced plague. The virus starts out air born, and quickly mutates. It has many of the same symptoms as the muggle flu, once contracted it has a kill factor of 100%.”

Several of those present shifted uneasily, and more than a few raised a hand.

Linda ignored them and continued on, “The virus is not contagious to magicals, nor will it infect squibs, or creatures. With our original power constraints, that's where the project would have ended,” she smiled in an entirely frightening way.

“A new power source gave us a secondary directive. One that—in my opinion, far outshines the first.” 

“Every device will flash a magically enhanced EMP, and lay a rudimentary anti-combustion jinx. As the spheres travel along the lines this will in effect—take the muggles back to the dark age,” she chuckled.

Mark quirked an eyebrow, “Well done. That was so far beyond your departments original proposal. I'm simply blown away.”

A few nervous titters followed.

“Jason, can you give us an overview on any progress your team has made?” Mark asked.

The large man that sat across from Mark began to shift uneasily in his chair, after clearing his throat he stood. “Yes sir, Operation old money is on the back burner of R&R. They can't move forward until we have an established destination.”

Mark's brow furrowed, “Ah, I see then. Very good, thank you Jason. Speaking of time—Drew how is your project coming along?”

A short thin man with a pinched face and a receding hairline groaned, “We're still having trouble,” Drew complained and theatrically slumped over the table, causing more than a few snickers.

Mark smiled, “No progress at all?”

Drew sighed and pushed himself back further into his chair, “Right, well the boys and girls in experimental have managed to triple the strength of the average time turner—admittedly, not helpful,” he huffed. “A sub group is working it at a different angle. They've managed something truly fascinating, and at the same time—useless.”

“Hmm,” Mark grunted.

“Yeah, two people in sub group died in testing,” Drew grimaced. 

“I had heard about Mason and Hastings, but one of the ventilators quit around that time—so I wasn't sure. Your department—more than any other,” he smirked, “Is steeped in mystery.”

“Funny. But yeah, Soul leap was eventually successful. That—uh, didn't solve the matter stream problems. We still haven't figured out how to send Linda's toys.”

“Toys,” Linda growled.

Mark shot her a venomous look, “How far?”

Drew sighed, “At any point in their own life, which is fantastic—but useless. We'd need to find someone beyond ancient.”

“I'm not sure I understand,” Linda interrupted.

“The whole point of this is to go back before the bombs dropped. Having said that, do you know anyone that's over 175?” Drew asked sarcastically.

Understanding dawned on those seated.

“Linda put up the latest census, and sort out those above the desired age please,” Mark requested.

Linda brought up the holographic screen again, and searched through the sub menus. The list she finally managed to bring up—was short. “There are currently three individuals over the age of 175.”

Mark sighed, “Start with the first.”

“Maribell Harper, 176, resides in sector one. Her medical file indicates that she suffers from dementia.” The group gazed at the photograph of the oldest woman alive, with slight disappointment.

Linda pulled up the second photograph, “Maxwell Ogden, 178, current resident of sector ten. He's a prisoner there sir.”

Mark sighed, “What was he arrested for?”

“Maxwell was convicted of a double homicide, and suspected in the disappearance of another citizen—unproven.”

“Terrific, well show us number three then,” Mark grumbled.

The third photograph projected above the table and caused much confusion.

“Where is the current photo?” Mark asked.

“Sir, this is current,” Linda quirked a brow at the young looking—ancient man.

“Harry Potter, 424, currently resides in sector five. Works in R&R, mostly topside,” Linda murmured.

Everyone at the table began to talk loudly at once.

“That has to be wrong, no one lives that long!”

“Clearly that's the wrong picture Linda . . .”

“Harry Potter?”

“Enough!” Mark shouted. “Linda pass that information to Drew. I believe we've found a potential. Make contact and feel him out, see if he's willing. Be convincing. And Jason? Go ahead with old money, use Potter's birthday as the currency cutoff.”

-0-

August 15th 2404, sector five, somewhere beneath what was once known as Australia.

The fake window in the mess hall was on the fritz again. It was an irritating monstrosity that took up the better part of a thirty meter wall. As though the denizens of sector five would somehow forget, that they were a mile underground. He sat at the table next to the garish landscape that hadn't existed in reality for over a century with a huff.

“Stupid flowers,” he grouched sliding his ration across the small square table.

Behind him the image flickered, crackled and hummed, like a half-dead neon light. Not that anyone in this room knew what that was, except him. Every time the fake window crackled, his left eye would twitch. As he did everything in his power, not to look at the field of disgustingly vibrant tulips.

“Hey Big Bad.”

He gave Terry a nod as the man made himself comfortable at the table. He and Terry had been working together for five years. Recovery and Research—or so it was called, though Harry only did it so he could fly.

“You see the new assignment yet?” Terry asked around a mouthful of protein mash, Harry shuttered at the thought of eating that gelatinous quivering shite.

He shook his head, knowing that Terry would carry on with a one-sided conversation either way. Terry was his opposite in every way. Tall, broad shouldered and muscular with a blond buzz cut and dark brown eyes. He was loud, opinionated and abused the English language in ways that were just wrong. He also gave everyone he met a nickname. 

“Pax ripped a hole in his suit, so we're being sent to sector one. The tech-heads have been bitching about needing gold,” he scoffed.

Harry winced, a ripped up suit was bad news—Pax was probably already dead. He hated going to sector one, it was the worst. More bombs had fallen there than any other place. Things were beginning to come back to life as well—frightening things. Mutated animals, like queer deer with two heads. Then, there was the re-emergence of—muggles, or their broken mutated spawn at any rate. He absolutely refused to think of them as human, not after seeing a few of them eat one of their own dead. 

“Fantastic,” Harry grunted, “Which zone?”

Terry's face turned green, “Deep scans picked up viable stock in GDA.”

Harry growled, “Greater Detroit Area, you're not serious?”

His partner frowned and pushed the half-eaten gray mash away, “Fraid so.”

“Well,” Harry huffed and rolled his eyes, “Looks like you'll be setting up the port carriers.”

Terry sputtered, “Why do I have to do it?”

“Can you control fiendfyre?”

Terry's face flushed, it was no secret that Harry was the most magically potent wizard in R&R. He knew it bothered Terry, and he did try not to rub it in the other man's face. But, there was no way Terry could handle a nest.

“Sorry Terry, I just have no desire to be somethings dinner,” Harry grumbled.

The embarrassment bled from Terry's face, followed quickly by a smidgen of anger and obvious fear, “S'fine, everyone knows you're the big bad.”

Harry rolled his eyes and gave a bark of laughter. Terry had started calling him the 'big bad' right after a recovery set up in sector three—went decidedly pear-shaped. They'd lost Danville that day, poor sod was caught up by a nest. Largest lot of those things, ever recorded. In the end, Harry had killed them all and managed to get them back to the port carrier. Of course he did have a few hundred years of practice on his side—not that Terry knew that. Oh sometimes Harry threw around bits and pieces of his past, but no one believed him. 

“Right, well if you're done eating that nasty shite,” Harry sneered at the offensive plate of not-quite-food, and pushed his chair away from the table. 

The walk to terminal transport went a little too fast for Harry's taste. As with all magical transportation—flying was still the only one he found tolerable. Sector five terminal transport station, was a large circular room. At first glance it appeared as if a large silver train, had wrapped itself along the far wall. Each compartment had a brightly glowing number fixed over the door. He grudgingly made the last few strides, and stepped into the compartment marked for sector one. Much like the knight bus had once been, this too was a chaotic experience.

“No seats left,” Harry grumbled as he surveyed the over crowded space.

A bell rang as an automated voice reminded them of their impending departure. He grabbed one of the hanging hand rails with a frown. 

“Mum, look,” a young boy elbowed his mother nearby, as the child pointed at him.

“Shh David, don't point,” the woman warned the boy.

Harry saw the two out of the corner of his eyes, fighting a smirk. Everyone that worked R&R topside, wore uniforms reminiscent of twenty-first century, muggle military camo. Like soldiers, they stood out from the civilians. 

“When I grow up, I'm gonna work there,” the boy—David proclaimed in a loud whisper.

“Hey mister, you ever kill any muggles?” David asked excitedly. 

“David!” His mother admonished.

Harry gave the mother and son a wry grin, “It's ok, he's just curious.”

Everyone in the car was watching Harry and Terry. Most were looking at the two of them with extreme approval. 

“Oh, Bad's got a higher kill count than anyone else in R&R little man,” Terry boasted.

Ding. Thirty seconds until departure.

Harry scowled at his partner.

“Awe Bad, don't get your briefs in a bind—you know I'm speaking the truth,” Terry chuckled.

“Your name is Bad?” David asked in near worship.

Terry guffawed, “Yeah we call him the big Bad. Cause when he decides to kill something—it dies,” Terry leaned over toward the boy while gripping the handhold.

Two feint pink spots appeared on Harry's cheeks, “My name is Harry,” he informed the kid.

Terry cackled. 

The automatic doors sealed with a hiss and the compartment began to hum with power. The magi-tech was quite a bit like a port-key. The pressure pushed against Harry, as he held on for dear life. Everyone's cheeks wobbled under the strain. Bright flashed of color streamed past the windows as the compartment hurdled through space.

Ding. Thank you for using Port Terminal transport. The next departure is in fifteen minutes. 

Harry stormed out of the doors as soon as they opened.

“Kill a few for me,” an old man hollered after them.

Terry spun on his boot heels and saluted the man, “Wait up!”

Harry looked over his shoulder and shook his head. The pair made quick work of the various tunnels. Sector one, was the largest hub. Its layout was like a sprawling spider web, with many twists and turns. As they drew near their destination, more and more personnel could be seen wearing camo.

The sector chief, Sandra Perry, was waiting non too patiently for the two in her office. She was a tall gangly blonde with a hard pinched face and a nasty attitude to match.

“Terrance Baker and Harold Potter, how nice of you two to finally join us,” she waved a hand to the three chairs in front of her desk.

Harry was the first to realize that someone was sitting in the third chair. A teenager from the looks of it, that was so awkwardly thin, that skeletal would have made an apt description. The kid's shaggy brown hair, hung down in front of his eyes. His face was all angles and sharp shadowed lines. Add to that, the kid's unfortunate beak nose and sallow skin—Harry half expected Sandra to introduce him as a Snape.

“This is Frank Dunbar, he's your new trainee. Frank these are the two idiots you'll be working with, starting today.”

Harry quirked a brow, “I thought that we were headed into GDA?”

“That's the plan,” Sandra offered with a shrug.

“You can't be serious, we can't take a newbie into GDA,” Terry grumbled.

Sandra turned on the holo-screen, an image projected over her desk. The hologram was a terrain shot of GDA. “Frank is a ward specialist and a trained curse breaker.”

Both men looked at confused as they felt, Harry was the first to express his concerns, “Why would we need a curse breaker on a grab and go?”

Terry hooked a thumb toward Harry and shook his head, and frowned at the new kid. Frank didn't look like he'd last five minutes topside, “Big difference between learning about wards in a classroom and topside,” he muttered.

Sandra pursed her lips and ignored Terry, her nostrils flared before she huffed out a breath. It wasn't a good sign, the woman was normally unflappable. “It's not quite as simple as all that.”

She tapped the image and it shifted up, as the focal point changed to the soil under GDA. It went further down, until they could all view what looked to be a cave network. “It isn't gold that R&R wants, it's galleons.”

Terry's face was blank, after all no one had ever used that particular currency in his lifetime, “Galleons?”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Old goblin money, wizards used to use it as their sole currency before the war.”

Sandra clapped sarcastically, “Scans show that the branch that was nearest GDA, is currently our best bet. Most of the tunnels are still structurally sound. What we don't know, is if the old goblin magic is still active on the individual vaults,” she nodded to Frank, “That's where he comes in.”

“Why do they need galleons? Wouldn't it be easier to just scan for a gold deposit?” Harry asked.

“It's not my job to question, or yours—at least—not if you want to keep your job,” she snipped.

“You boys will suit up and fly from the apparition point to here,” she pinged the image smack in the middle of GDA.

Terry was looking a little green. She flipped the view so that they were looking straight down at the ground. They could all see a massive sink hole, “This is your access point, the sink hole goes all the way down to the tunnel floor. We'd port in, but several of the Goblin wards—seem to be active. You will stop at every vault possible and Frank will help you crack them open. Once inside, use this spell,” she handed Harry a piece of paper. 

“It will automatically check the currency, so that all the coins minted before 1980 are sorted out.”

Harry was looking at her incredulously, “What?”

“They only want galleons minted before 1980. Now, on to the aspects of this mission that make it truly dangerous. As you know, the goblins were just as affected as the muggles, when agent x was released.”

“Are you sending us into a giant nest?” Terry asked more horrified than angry.

Sandra grimaced, “Unfortunately, standard scans aren't working at this site. We've resorted to echo location, which does give us a hand up on the situation. This is how we know nearly all of the tunnels are structurally sound.”

The holograph zoomed out to show the entire network of tunnels and vaults, or at least that's what Harry assumed them to be. He had to hand it to the goblins, it was massive. It also made him wonder at its sheer size. The American branches of Gringotts had been fairly new, at least as compared to those in Europe. 

“Without scans you can't even tell us if the mutation is still active, personally I'd put my money on that being the case. No one's been down there in nearly two centuries.”

Sandra shifted nervously in her chair, glancing away from them, “It goes without saying, this run you use the impervious suits. These tunnels are riddled with anti-portkey, and anti-apparition wards. Be vigilant, and don't take any unnecessary risks. If you run into trouble, head back—even if it means leaving some gear.”

“On a positive note, the higher-ups have given us permission to use the phase-shift prototypes on this mission,” she clasped a gold band around her wrist and stood.

Tapping the band with her wand, the woman became translucent before walking through her desk. “One tap activates the device, the shift lasts thirty seconds and has an internal cool down of one hour. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it still might get you out of a bind.” She gave each of the men their own band.

“Any questions?”

“How will we know when we have enough?” Terry asked.

Sandra sat back in her chair, “Current needs are for just over twenty million, if you don't retrieve as much as HQ wants—they'll send you back out tomorrow.”

Harry groaned.

Sandra smiled, “Buck up if you finish today, the job pays double credits.”

-0-

After the brief, the three headed out of Sandra's office. Harry and Terry made a sharp left, while Frank started off to the right.

“Whoa,” Terry whistled and snatched the back of Frank's jacket, jerked him back.

“This way new kid,” he chuckled at the glare he received.

Harry strode confidently ahead, not bothering to harass the awkward teenager. To him it felt almost as though they were on some sort of baby-sitting detail. What kind of experience could the kid honestly have? Over the years, he had studied runes and wards—even tried his hand at curse breaking. Of course, he did have the advantage of an unnatural lifespan. There were few things that he hadn't studied at this point, boredom will do that. Still, he questioned how much help Frank would actually be.

“I'm not a child,” Frank hissed through clenched teeth.

“Whatever you say Frankie,” Terry tried to throw an arm over the teen's shoulders.

He laughed as Frank sputtered in rage, side stepping him. The kid marched off only to nearly take another wrong turn. Terry whistled at him again, like he was a wayward pet. “This way Frankie.”

“That's Mr Dunbar to you,” Frank snapped.

“Pft kid, you don't have the rank for that—aye Bad? You hear this pip-squeak?”

Harry rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, “Should've asked for triple credits.”

“When my father hears about this, you won't be laughing Mr Baker.”

Harry sighed loudly at the comment, so many things made sense now. 

“Oh no!” Terry wiped imaginary tears, sniffling at Frank.

Frank stopped walking and got in Terry's face. Harry had to give the kid some credit, Terry was three times his size.

“Listen you little snot-nosed shit, this job kills people all the time. So daddy must not care too much,” Terry sneered leaning down closer till they were nearly nose to nose.

Harry decided to break it up, before anything else could happen. Terry was a great guy, but he had a button and once it was pressed—well, mean was an understatement. He practically frog marched them the rest of the way. One thing was for certain, it would be a long shift.

-0-


	2. Chapter 2

Harry stood in the center of sector one's apparition point. Watching on in horrified amusement, as Frank tried to get his suit on.

“Dude this is hopeless,” Terry muttered, “Kid's a goner.”

“You've been using your credits to watch old muggle films again,” It was more accusation than question. Terry's silence was answer enough.

“Go help him, I'd like to leave sometime today,” Terry slapped him on the back hard enough to nearly knock him over.

Pursing his lips, Harry walked over to Frank and helped get the suit on and locked. The kid had been trained—supposedly, though after that display Harry wasn't sure what to think. 

“You do know all the suit functions?” Harry asked, knowing at this point it was better to be safe than sorry.

Frank answered with a glare. Harry help his hands up, “Fine it's your skin, lets go. Grab the carrier Terry.”

Terry placed one hand on a hovering metal storage device. The carrier was much larger on the inside, and was frequently used to transports goods and items from runs. Apparition from sector to surface was just over one mile. The furthest anyone from this new world, would ever travel with it. The surface was in a constant flux, apparition beyond the approved point above—was discouraged. 

With a loud crack, Terry disapparated with the carrier. Frank shuffled nervously, avoiding Harry's questioning glare. “Are you incapable of apparition?”

“I am unsure,” Frank offered quietly.

“Oh for the love of all that's good and holy,” Harry grabbed Franks arm and brought them both to the surface point.

Frank stumbled away from him with a groan.

“Don't you dare get sick inside that suit! Frank look at me, just calm down,” Harry ordered.

The kid nodded his head and took deep breaths, until he had himself under control again. Harry walked the perimeter of the apparition square, to the storage unit that was kept topside. Smiling in anticipation, he opened the door. 

“What are those?” Frank asked.

Terry scoffed having made his way over, “That my young friend, is the Zero Gravity.”

Harry was looking at the flying units as he did each time, in near reverence. Running a hand along the smooth surface of the outer hull, he closed his eyes. The silver, bullet shaped vehicle, could manage zero to two-fifty in five seconds. Reaching speeds upward of four hundred miles per hour, when topped out.

“If you're done molesting them Bad, maybe we can head out?” 

Harry sighed and shot a glare over his shoulder, “Yeah, take Frank would you?”

Hopping over the side, he activated the shield as the Zero Gravity hummed to life. It hovered off the ground a few feet, while he entered their destination into the Magi-Map. The glowing screen expanded, showing a direct route with several warnings that flashed brightly in red. 

“Hey Bad, you see the storm headed our way?”

Pressing a finger to the communication mirror he replied, “Yeah, nothing for it. Keep it at minimum altitude and try to stay away from any lightening.”

“That's it? Stay away from the lightening!” Terry grumbled.

Harry scoffed, “You want me to hold your hand? We don't have time to go around it, topped this is a two hour commute boys.”

Before Terry could reply, Harry had shot out of the door at a break neck speed. He kept it low, enjoying the thrill of flying close to the ground. The looming husks of burnt out skyscrapers fast approached, as Harry throttled along at top speed.

“Atlanta's really gone to shite,” Harry laughed, flying down low enough, to zoom through the wasted city center. 

Terry flew a safe distance above the ground, watching in amusement as Harry wove in and out of the few remaining structures. 

“Is he crazy?” Frank sputtered.

“You hearing that Bad? Newbie thinks you're nuts,” Terry chuckled at the responding whoop.

-0-

Drew knocked on the door with barely contained agitation, his worry evident in the shake of his hands. 

“Hey Mark—you uh, wanted to see me?”

Mark pushed aside a stack of paper and quirked a brow, “Have you contacted Potter yet?”

Drew's shoulders slumped, “Potter is topside. When project old money was approved, R&R sent Potter and his partner.”

Mark tensed, “You're telling me the only potential subject for end game—was sent into GDA?”

The silence in the office was deafening. Drew wasn't sure what to say, he'd tried to get Potter pulled off the assignment. But, the men were out of communication range. Of course there was the added issue of their trainee. He wasn't going to breech that subject, unless the other man brought it up first. 

“I want him back,” Mark ordered.

Drew shuffled in the doorway, “Uh, sir—according to the last communication, the men should have just reached GDA. Two hundred and fifty miles outside of com reach,” he added quietly.

Several items on Mark's desk shook, in a surprising display of accidental magic. Drew swallowed nervously in the face of Mark's displeasure. The older man's face was red, his eyes a hard glinting blue, “I want you to arrange a team for emergency transport, in case it's needed. Have them waiting over GDA for extraction, we can't lose Potter. Not when we're so close.”

“Sir, the goblin wards are still active. We can't use the mobile port to remove them. If the men run into any issues, they will need to go out—the way they went in,” Drew flinched as Mark slammed a fist on the top of his desk, scattering paperwork all over the floor.

“Then send a damned ward breaker with the team. Have them break the anti-apparition ward. You hear me? I want it down!”

Drew's eyes widened in shock. To accomplish that, the ward breaker would need to be on the ground. “Mark, I don't know if that's possible. The ward breaker would need to be at the entrance of the old bank—it's not safe there.”

“Then take enough men to make it safe. Potter's continued existence is top priority, nothing else matters.”

Drew backed out of Mark's office without another word. God help the individual, that told Mark his son was with them. Rubbing his face wearily, he set out to gather the team. 

-0-

Hovering over the sink hole, Harry ran another scan to be sure, “There's enough room Terry. We're gonna take the ZG's right into the hole, set them down in there. It'll make it easier to get out when the job's done.”

They descended slowly, careful to avoid any of the jutting metal. Remnants of the old muggle city's sewage system. With a press of a button, bright light shone from the front of his vehicle. 

“Terry run a life scan before we hit bottom, this things been open for awhile,” he murmured as the light passed over a pile of bleached bones on a rugged stone crag. 

“Nothing in this cavern but a few rodents,” Terry replied.

“Good, ten meters gentlemen. Have your weapons ready before you drop the shield, just in case.”

The cavern floor was littered with huge chunks of cement, and crumbled stone. A twisted piece of burnt metal sat a few feet from Harry. Nearly unidentifiable as the automobile it had once been. Canceling the shield, he hopped out and wandered over toward the wall. The barrier between the goblin tunnel and this cavern, had collapsed. Pulling out his wand, he ran a ward diagnostic wincing at the result. They had their work cut out for them. Goblins had been a paranoid bunch.

“Frank looks like you're up. Don't worry about anything but the dozen or so with triggers, except for the alarms. I doubt we have to worry about a goblin security team coming to arrest us. Terry make sure nothing falls in from behind and I'll help the kid lift these anti-theft wards.”

Terry saluted him and began to walk around the wall, checking for anything that hadn't shown on the scan. 

“Sol volitant,” Harry cast. 

A bright glowing ball of flame, shot from his wand and hovered over them. Casting some much needed light in the dank, poorly lit tunnel. Frank was shockingly good at taking wards down. The kid was on his second ward, before Harry could even figure out how to take down his first. At least the sector chief had been right about the kid's ability. Still, she and him were gonna have a talk about proper training. Harry couldn't believe the kid couldn't apparate, or that he'd never used the suit. 

A small trickle of rocks echoed loudly, as they fell to the ground near Terry. Squinting his eyes, he gazed up into the distant light. It was too far to tell if something was up there, luckily the fall would kill anything stupid enough to follow them.

“You alright back there Terry?”

“Yeah, just some rocks.”

Frank grabbed his hand and cursed pulling him back, “Watch it. That's an Egyptian rot curse.”

Harry held his hands up and chuckled, “Point taken, how about I leave you to it.”

He was a tad perturbed by Frank's obvious relief. Terry's smirk only fueled his ire. Walking back toward the wrecked car frame, he kicked around the debris cluttering the ground. The clunk of a much larger stone, brought his attention back to Terry. Both men watched as a huge hunk of rock barreled down the cavern wall. Harry cast a bombarda at it and banished the pieces, before it could land near Terry.

“Good aim,” Terry chortled.

“That thing didn't come lose on its own, somethings up there,” Harry grumbled and walked back to Frank. The kid was on the seventh ward.

Thump

Harry swiveled back toward the sound. A crumpled bloody mess, lay still twitching—not far from where Terry stood with his mouth hanging open. He curled his lip in disgust at the thing. 

“Jumper?” Terry questioned.

Thump

Harry grabbed Terry's arm and jerked him back, just in time to avoid being crushed by the falling body.

Thump Thump Thump

Naked dirty writhing bodies, began to fall from the top of the sink hole.

“Holy shite,” Harry swore dragging Terry with him, back to Frank. “Tell me you're almost finished kid.”

Like a herd of lemmings, the things followed each other over the edge. Plummeting like living missiles as they splattered against the stone. A particularly large body fell right on top of Terry's ZG, denting the hull. Though the thing's body was broken, it lived long enough to snarl at them. The guttural sound cut through the air, sending shivers down his spine. 

“Done,” Frank said staring wide-eyed at the growing pile of—muggles.

The three men hurried into the goblin tunnel, Terry bringing up the rear with the carrier. Harry paused long enough to conjure a giant slab of stone over the entrance point. It wouldn't do to have one of those things follow in behind them. 

“Way to go Frankie,” Terry cheered at the scowling teen.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the kid's reaction to Terry. Frankie was nothing, compared to some nicknames Terry had saddled people with.

“Hey Bad, which way?”

After summoning another couple balls of light, Harry checked their position on the map. 

“Right. This access tunnel empties into a main branch with vaults. We'll just start with the first one we find.”

Half a mile into the tunnel, the distant sound of dripping water could be heard. Harry wondered if that meant the imperturbable charms were failing. “Hope none of these tunnels go under the river, you hear that water Terry?”

Terry grunted at the assessment and peaked around the edge of the tunnel junction. The only light came from what Harry had conjured, there was nothing else to be seen in the endless abyss before them. Carefully they made their way around the corner to the right, following along the narrow edge to the first vault in sight. The three stood in front of the broad metal door. 

“Hope you're as good at opening these as you were the tunnel, Frank,” Harry muttered.

It quickly became evident, that this was not the case. The wards on the vault were much harder to break.

“Hey bad, what would you have done, if the sector chief had sent us here without the kid?”

Harry's brow furrowed in thought, “Er—probably what I always do,” he chuckled.

Terry smirked, “Kid step back, Bad's gonna give that vault door some hell.”

“I was thinking more of an overpowered excavation charm,” he replied as a thick jet of red light connected to the stone wall surrounding the door. The stone began to heat as the charm cut a line through it. A glowing red line, soon outlined the entire door. The door shook as he levitated the whole thing out of the wall, and flung it aside. It landed with a loud crash, making him wince. 

“Well if there's anything in here, it knows about us now,” Frank grumbled and scanned the entrance for any lingering harmful wards. 

They found two that still needed to be dispelled, but overall—Harry's stunt had been helpful.

“Bad's got sheer dumb luck—works every time,” Terry slapped him on the back.

There had been a decent pile of galleons inside the vault. Unfortunately, when Harry cast the charm to sort out anything minted before 1980—they were left with only five hundred galleons. Their first ten vaults yielded a grand total of 25,596. 

“This is such bullshit, why 1980? We'd already be done, if it weren't for that,” Terry kicked a galleon out of the door. It tumbled over the ledge and plunked against the still standing cart tracks. 

Harry shrugged as he cut another door loose. “We might have to go to a lower level. The older vaults have a better chance of having what we need.”

Terry walked to the edge and looked down with a grunt. A booming growl reverberated from beneath them, making Terry stumble back. Harry glanced over at Terry's terror-stricken face and froze at the sound of claws scrabbling against stone. Something very large sniffed, just below the ledge. A scale covered head rose above the edge. Incensed golden eyes focused intently on them. 

“A dragon—Bad its a dragon!” Terry screamed and shuffled backwards.

Harry levitated the door he'd just cut, and flung it with all his might at the large reptiles head. With a crack its neck snapped sending it back down into the depths.

“You sound like a girl when you scream Terry.”

Terry glared at him and picked himself up off the ground, brushing the dirt off his suit. Vault twelve was a lucky one for them. Ten million in old galleons, had been squirreled away inside. While Terry was busy shifting all of the loot into the carrier, Harry went ahead to take care of the next door. Four vaults later Harry was cutting through another door, and noticed it the molten line was steaming.

“Ward you think?” He asked Frank.

Frank shrugged, “There's nothing on it we haven't seen before.”

As Harry levitated the door out of the stone, water rushed around the metal knocking all three of the men over. A flash of silver caught his eye, as a sword was carried out in the flood. Harry grasped Franks hand, right before the kid could be swept over the edge and cast a permanent sticking charm on himself. The two dangled over the edge, held only by Harry's other hand. The sticking charm worked, but the added weight of Frank's body began to stress his shoulder.

“Terry some help please!” Harry bit out as his shoulder began to tear.

Terry was quick to pull them back onto the ledge, thankfully. The crisis seemed to have been averted, though Frank was near hyperventilating. 

“You ok?” Terry asked.

Harry took a moment to heal his shoulder, giving Frank a chance to calm down. Water continued to pour out of the vault in a healthy stream. Harry listened as it poured over the edge pattering down into the lower levels. 

“What's the count?”

Terry checked the carrier, “14,877,995.”

A thunderous crack echoed throughout the tunnel. The ground shook violently, knocking all three men off their feet. Harry turned toward the sound of falling rock, but was unable to see far into the pressing darkness.

“Lock up the carrier, we're done here. Double credits aren't worth being buried alive.” Harry ordered.

Frank was holding his hand out in front of him, eyes wide in panic. 

“What's wrong?” Harry asked, then noticed the blood.

Terry gasped and grabbed Frank's hand, looking for rips in the suit. Turning the kid around, they both saw a long jagged cut across his back. 

“Had to have been something from the vault—cursed object? The suit is impervious to regular gashes,” Terry babbled. 

The ground shook again, dust rained from above as cracks formed in the stone. 

“Hold him and I'll get the pen,” Harry urged the other man to hurry as he pulled out the stasis pen.

Another tremor was followed by a gush of water, from the vault behind them.

“Shit, hold on kid. We need to run back to the junction,” Terry led the carrier further back down the direction they'd come from.

Harry pushed the kid to keep going, trying to ignore his whispers, “Oh god. I don't want to die—I don't want to die . . .”

The communication mirror on his helmet, chose that moment to activate. 

“This is Gavin Mcgowen from R&R Emergency Service division. We've been sent to retrieve Harry Potter, do you copy?”

Harry stopped walking, completely dumbfounded, “What?”

“I repeat, this is a call from Emergency Service division—”

“Yeah, I got that. This is Harry Potter, now what are you on about?” Harry asked.

The sounds of crackling stone had him running to catch up with Terry. “Go, keep going!” He yelled as the ground began to tremble again.

“What's happening up there? Why would they send an emergency retrieval?” He huffed into the communicator as he ran.

“A ward breaker was sent to disable the anti-apparition wards. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful and it tripped a secondary security fallback. Several tunnels have collapsed, including the one your team entered.” Gavin informed Harry.

The three men stood and stared. Right past the junction, the tunnel had indeed collapsed. 

“Can you get us out? Frank's been compromised, I was just getting ready to use the pen.” Harry asked as he helped keep the kid upright.

“Use the pen, we still don't have the ward down. We can overpower the signal on the mobile port to by pass the ward, but we only have enough power to do it once.”

Harry pressed the pen into Frank's back and lowered the kid to the ground. 

“Frank's in stasis, get a lock on his suit and take him out of here. He needs help,” Harry insisted.

“Negative.” Was Gavin's only response.

“What? You just said that one of us could travel through the ward, Frank is injured.” Harry growled at the communicator.

“My orders were very specific, retrieve Harry Potter at any cost,” Gavin replied stoically.

Harry turned off his communicator, and explained everything that he'd been told to Terry. 

“So that's it then? They pull you out and leave us?” Terry kicked a stone over the edge.

Harry shook his head, “No, I'm not going anywhere. Our exit is one half mile through this,” he gestured at the fallen rock.

“Watch me.” 

Terry watched as Harry showed him another excavation charm, “Make sure you concentrate on the fallen rock and not the tunnel, the incantation is Desolati.”

The two began to melt the larger rocks blocking their exit. Terry froze and tapped his communicator, “If you want to help, come down and clear the other end of this tunnel!”

“What's that?” Harry spun around.

Terry glanced behind them, “What, you hear something?”

Several of something were approaching quickly along one of the ledges, without care for the noise they made. Just past the edge of light, Harry could make out something small crawling forward. Then both men heard the snarls. One lonely beast loped on all fours into the light. It was naked as the day it was born, and covered in filth. 

“Keep clearing the rock Terry, and I'll keep these things back,” Harry offered and cast a whip made of fire, driving the small creatures back along the ledge.

Their eyes held none of the intelligence of their ancestors. These things knew nothing of commerce and trade. Like the mutated muggles above, they had been changed by agent x. They knew little beyond need, and gnawing hunger. They hissed and clawed at him as the fire cut through their numbers.

The beacon on his suit flashed a brilliant blue. Harry took his eyes off of the Goblins for a second, and saw that it had been activated without his consent. 

“Terry, they turned my beacon on, I think they mean to transport me out. Focus on the—”

Terry stood panic-stricken and mouth agape, as Harry was ported directed through the wards, leaving him alone with a full nest. 

“Fiendfyre!” He screamed pushing a snake of demonic fire from his wand and willed it to burn the goblins.

-0-


End file.
